RICHMOND, Va., -- The federal trial of a Virginia physician charged for his role in getting oxycodone to the streets was unusual and, at times, uncomfortable to watch Tuesday. Dr. Clarence Scranage Jr. chose to act as his own lawyer and needed guidance from both the prosecutor and judge while questioning witnesses inside the Federal Courthouse on East Broad Street.
Scranage Jr. worked with Anthony Harper, who recruited patients to send to Scranage for oxycodone prescriptions, according to court documents.
Harper would give the names of the patients to Scranage, who would write 30 mg prescriptions for the Schedule II narcotic drug. Harper paid the doctor and then sold the drugs to dealers and users, according to the grand jury documents.
Numerous witnesses testified they weren't required to visit Scranage's offices in Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield in order to receive an oxycodone prescription.
The “patients” were paid for allowing their names to be used, and for filling dozens of prescriptions over the course of several years.
One witness told prosecutors she never met Scranage before trial and would get paid $100 to $130 for filing a prescription and then handing over the pills. She admitted to Scarange that she knew what she was doing was illegal, but was in need of money at the time.
Authorities said that Scranage failed to assess the medical needs of numerous people to whom he wrote prescriptions, and allowed his medical practice to function as a "pill mill.”
An FBI agent testified the doctor would modify files for the "patients" after he knew he was being investigated two years after writing them prescriptions. The 20-year veteran with the FBI told the court investigators used Scranage's cloud-based storage of patient files to discover the discrepancies.
The modified files were found under Scranage's desk during a search of his office by the FBI.
Scranage had offices on Ownby Lane, Courthouse Road and Bremo Road.
The offenses were documented for years before charges were filed.
The court documents reference another co-conspirator but do not identify the individual.
Scranage attended the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in Nashville receiving a medical degree and was board certified in emergency medicine in 1991, according to an indictment.
